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Capitol View®

Reporting on State Politics and Government

The Bad News Bearers

State officials released a revised budget forecast this morning, including a gap between revenues and projected expenditures that’s 25 percent wider than it was in November. The real gap stands at about $6.4 billion dollars, a near record. Federal stimulus funds, though, are expected to buy down the actual gap to about $4.6 billion. Here’s…
by Tim Pugmire

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Live blog: GOP lines up for a turn

12:48: Seide departs and the official reactions draw to a close. 12:42: Eliot Seide, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 5, has jumped on the Republican caboose and walked up to the lectern as Seifert departed. “A loss of a public sector employee is a loss of a consumer on main street.” Says he doesn’t think…
by Tim Pugmire

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Live blog: DFL responds

12:25: Wrapping up. Minority leader Marty Seifert is waiting in the wings. 12:21: Kelliher has answered all but a handful of a half-hour of questions. She is clearly stepping forward as the DFL’s point person on the budget issue. She also talked about “spending some time” with senior management at General Mills recently, perhaps a…
by Tim Pugmire

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Live blog: Governor weighs in on new forecast

11:38: Governor is finished, headed back into his office. 11:36: Asked about his increasingly vocal criticism of federal spending, Pawlenty responds: “I don’t limit my criticism of federal spending to what’s going on currently. Whether a Democrat or Republican has been in the White House… it has been about the same. In my view, you…
by Tim Pugmire

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Live blog: February forecast announcement

10:29: Wrapping up. Hanson is giving the valedictory and offering to take more questions as the day goes on. The governor will be talking at 11 a.m. Look for more live blogging in 30 minutes. 10:25: Stinson is asked what hope there is for one of his signs of improvement, the credit markets, which have…
by Tim Pugmire

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Federal stimulus $ reduces state deficit

The money provided by President Obama’s federal stimulus package has actually reduced the state’s budget deficit. With $2.2 $1.8 billion in federal stimulus, the state has a surplus of $236 million in the current budget that ends on July first. For fiscal years 2010 and ’11, the state is facing a $4.57 billion deficit. Finance…
by Tom Scheck

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The Daily Digest: 3-3-09

Gov. Pawlenty and state lawmakers may not be so sure but red is definitely their color today. The budget forecast is released this morning and the red ink could rise to $7 billion. The update will be announced at 9:45. Gov. Pawlenty will deliver his address at 11:00. You can listen to Pawlenty live on…
by Tom Scheck

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Coleman lawyer suggests setting election aside as a remedy

As you already know, there has been a blizzard of paperwork flying around the recount trial. One interesting tidbit filed by the Coleman campaign is the suggestion that a new election should be held if they can’t determine the double counting of votes (which the Coleman camp alleges) or inconsistent rejected absentees. Here’s the letter.
by Tom Scheck

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Another Coleman staffer leaves, campaign closes offices

Mark Drake, the senior spokesman for Republican Norm Coleman, is the latest staffer to leave the campaign. Coleman spokesman Tom Erickson said Drake is taking some time off before he starts his new job. He wouldn’t say where Drake is going. Meanwhile, Erickson also says the campaign closed their offices over the weekend. He said…
by Tom Scheck

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The Daily Digest: 3-2-09

We get a better idea of how bad the state’s financial picture will be when the budget forecast is released on Tuesday. The State Economist tells the Pi Press that the downturn is getting worse but will get better. The Star Tribune says everyone at the Capitol is bracing for a wild budget ride. AP…
by Tom Scheck

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